the Leader - July 05, 2006

Delsom Plans for North Delta Get Airing

By Dan Ferguson, Staff Reporter

Traffic congestion and noise remain concerns for North Delta
residents who live near the proposed 100-acre Delsom Estates
housing project.

More detailed designs for the 850-unit housing project have been
aired at two public information meetings and one small group
discussion held in June after Delta Council approved scaled-down
plans for the former gravel pit bordered by Nordel Way, 82
Avenue and 108 Street.

While the look of the project attracted positive comments at the
three sessions, the potential impact on traffic and noise levels
generated complaints, with more than one resident saying the
project should be scaled down even more.

Resident Bob Heckle predicted the development will add 1,600
vehicles to Nordel Way, which is already subject to backups.

Mervyn Romilly, head of Delsom Estates Ltd., said at full
build-out the project will increase Alex Fraser Bridge traffic
by no more than two per cent – not much considering Surrey is
adding that much to the bridge every six months.

Resident Jill Gillett was one of several people to express
concern about the impact of noise from Nordel on the proposed
three-storey townhouses.

In response, Kevin Shoemaker of Polygon Homes said berms and
acoustical fences would be used.

The developers also plan to use triple-glazed glass and 2X6
construction to limit noise levels.

Designers took photographs of surrounding houses in an effort to
make sure the housing in the Delsom Estates project fits in with
the look of surrounding neighbourhoods and found that Westcoast
Modern and Neoclassical designs predominate.

There will be affordable townhouses as small as 1,300 square
feet up to 2,300-sq.ft. single family homes, the builders say.

The design puts commercial buildings and businesses in the
centre of the site, part of a “village centre” design that
features small shops and low buildings, although it does allow
room for a 30,000-sq.ft. food store that some residents singled
out as excessive.

After an initial proposal for 1,000 units, mostly multi-family,
was rejected by council last year as too big, the developer
scaled the project back to 850, and changing the mix to reduce
the number of townhouses and increase the number of single
family bordering the project.